Cam operated sliding jaw closure remover



Feb. 16, 1954 c. w. FULLER 2,659,142

CAM OPERATED SLIDING JAW CLOSURE REMOVER Filed July 28, 1952 v s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

CLARE/V65 l MFULZEE. BY

ATTOE/VfK Feb. 16, 1954 c w F LL I 2,669,142

CAM OPERATED SLIDING JAW CLOSURE REMOVER Filed July 28, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVQNTOR. CLARENCE 14 HJLLER.

ATTORNEY Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. '3.

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 1-1 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary face view of a jar and bottle cap opener and sealer made in accordance with a second form of the invention.

Fig. 9 is a side view thereof, partly in section.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view in section of the type of a bottle, showing the device herein claimed used as a cap sealer to fasten a crown cap to said isshown in Fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1, showing another form of this invention.

Fig. 15 is a side edge view thereof. Fig. 16 is a back view of the device shown in 1 Fig. 17 is'a view of the jaws of said device with the cover plate removed.

Referring now to the first seven figures of the drawing, it will be seen that the cap opening and sealing device I 0 comprises the following component parts: a handle I2 having a pry-up tongue I3 at one end, a clamping jaw I4 fixed to the opposite end of the handle, a plurality of teeth ;or serrations I6 formed along one side of said handle, a slide IB mounted in said handle for 'slidable movement longitudinally thereof toward and away from clamping jaw I4, a second clamping jaw 26 fixed on said slide, a cam slot 22 formed *in said slide, a pin 24 which projects through said slot and serves as a cam follower relative thereto, a bell crank shaped lever 26 which supports said pin, and a toothed dog 28 which is also supported by said lever for movement with said lever into and out of engagement with teeth I6 on the side of the handle.

Clamping jaws I4 and are arcuate in shape and their concave sides face each other. Both said clamping jaws are provided with an arcuate bead 30 which is employed for sealing purposes. (-See Fig. 4). It will be noted that a second pair of jaws 32 and 34 are secured, respectively to the backs of clamping jaws I4 and 20. Jaws 32 and 34 are also arcuate in shape, their concave sides facing each other. One of said jaws is provided with an arcuate lip 36 which may be used for prying up friction-type caps such as cap 38 on jar or bottle (see Fig. 12) and crown caps such as are used on bottles of charged water, beer, etc.

It will be noted-in Fig. 1 that cam slot 22 is intersected by an axial line extending longitudinally of handle I2 and that said slot is disposed at an angle of approximately relative to said axial line. (The drawing shows the angle as 35 between the slot and a transverse line erected perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.) The relative movement of the two clamping jaws also takes place along said axial line and hence it will be understood that the cam slot extends at an angle of 55 with respect to said line of movement. This angle, however, is not critical and may be varied to meet necessary conditions. Lever 26 is folded over to accommodate handle I2 as seen in Fig. 5, and alsoto accommodate the Cir toothed dog 28. A pin or rivet 42 pivotally secures said dog to said lever. This pin or rivet serves as a fulcrum for the lever, particularly when the toothed dog is in engagement with teeth I6. Pin 24 also, at times, serves as a fulcrum for lever 26. Pin 24 is disposed at one end of the lever, pin 42 is disposed at its corner or elbow, and the opposite end 26a of the lever serves as a handle by which the lever may be swung from one angular position to another as shown in Fig. 3. When the lever is in its broken line position, dog 28 is out of engagement with teeth I6 and hence the lever and slide I8 are free to move in either direction longitudinally of handle I2. When the lever is swung toward its solid line position as shown in Fig. 3, the toothed dog enters into engagement with teeth I6 and the lever is thereby prevented from moving longitudinally of handle I2. Slide I8 remains, however, free to move a predetermined distance longitudinally of handle I2 and toward clamping jaw I4. This movement takes place by reason of the action of pin 24 upon the sides of cam slot 22.

In the use of this device, clamping jaws I4 and 20 are made to engage a cap or cover 44 on jar or bottle 46 as shown in Fig. 13. The lever is in its broken line position as shown in Fig. 3, and the slide and handle are moved in the direction of clamping jaw I4 until the two jaws are in engagement with said cap or cover. The lever is then swung toward handle I2 and the dog is thereby brought into engagement with the teeth on said handle. Further movement of the lever in the same direction causes the cam follower 24 to exert a camming action or force upon slide I8, thereby forcing said slide to move a predetermined distance toward clamping jaw I4. The angle at which cam slot 22 is disposed relative to the axial movement of said slide helps determine the extent of such cammed movement of said slide. Since clamping jaw 20 is secured to said slide, the eifect of such camming action isto cause the two clamping jaws to securely engage the cap or cover of the jar.

Figs. 8 and 9 show a construction similar to the device above described except that one pair of its clamping jaws are segmented, toothed and pivotally mounted. More specifically, clamping jaw segments 50 and 52 correspond to clamping' jaw I4. All four jaw segments are made identically and each one has a concave portion with teeth 58 formed thereon. The concave portions of all of these jaw segments face each other to form a circle when the jaw segments are brought together to their Fig. 8 positions. It will be noted that jaw segments 50 and 52 are pivotally secured by means of pins 60 and 62 to handle I2. It will also be noted that jaw segments 54 and 53 are pivotally secured by means of pins 64 and S6 to slide 68 which corresponds to slide I3 above described.

The mechanism above described is employed in precisely the same way when it is desired to make use of jaws 32 and 34. Jaws 32 and 34 are brought into engagement with a friction type cap or cover 38 and lip 36 is inserted under said cap or cover so that it may be pried ofi. The lip 36 may also be inserted under the apron or skirt of a crown seal cap to pry it off.

When it is desired to replace a crown cap 18 which is removed from a bottle by means of jaws 32 and 34, either the jaws I4 and 20 or the jaw segments 50, 52, 54, and 56 are employed. (See Figs.-l0 and 11.) It will be noted that the jaw segments are provided with inwardly extending projection or projections 12 which engage the crests of the corrugated apron of the crown cap, below bead I4 of bottle 16. Clamping jaw 20 is provided with a bead 30 or any similar bead which engages that portion of the apron of the crown cap which is disposed adjacent the lower portion of the said bottle bead I4. The pressure of bead 39 upon the crests of the corrugated apron of the crown cap forces said crown cap downwardly upon the bottle so as to provide a tight seal between the cork liner I8 of the cap and the top of the bottle.

Referring to Figs. 14, 15, 16 and 1'7, it will be seen that a handle 89 is provided which corresponds to handle I2 of the first form of this invention, a clamping jaw 82 corresponding to clamping jaw I4 being secured to one end of handle 89, a slide 84 corresponding to slide I8 being mounted for longitudinal movement in said handle, a second clamping jaw 86 corresponding to jaw 20 being secured to slide 84 and a lever 88 corresponding to lever 26 being connected to slide 9 4 and to handle 89 by the same means which connects lever 26 to slide I 8 and handle I2. It will be noted in Fig. 1'7 that jaw 82 comprises an arcuate frame member 90 having a pair of jaw segments 92 and 94 pivotally secured thereto by means of pins 96 and 98. These pins project through oversized holes in jaw segments 92 and 94 so as to provide for lost motion between said jaw segments and said arcuate member. Similarly, clamping jaw 86 comprises an arcuate frame member I00 and a pair of jaw segments I92 and I 04 pivotally secured thereto by means of pins I06 and I08 respectively. These pins also project through oversized holes in jaw segments I02 and I94.

In operation, the present device corresponds to the operation of the device shown in Fig. 8. As has already been indicated, however, jaws 82 and 86 are provided with rounded teeth II 0 which are shaped and spaced to fit the skirts of crown caps. This makes for a superior clamping action for re-sealing such caps on soda and beer bottles and the like. The edges of the jaws 86 are well adapted to engage the sides of other caps either to remove them or to replace them without causing them injury.

On the opposite side of the handle from clamping jaws 82 and 86 are a hook-shaped member H2 and a punch H4. The hook-shaped member is secured to the same end of the handle as clamping jaw 82, but on the other side thereof. Punch H4 is secured to slide 84 on the opposite side of said slide from clamping jaw 86. The hook-shaped member is adapted to hook under crown caps, jar caps and the like and these caps may be removed from the bottles or jars to which they are connected by simply tilting the handle and using it as a lever. The caps would thereby be pried or lifted off their respective bottles or jars.

Hook I I2 may also be brought into engagement with the peripheral bead of a can, such as is conventionally used in connection with beer, fruit juices, evaporated milk and the like. It would then serve as a fulcrum for the handle and the handle could then be used to press punch H4 into the top wall of the can. The point of the punch would, of course, be brought immediately adjacent that part of the bead of the can which lies diametrically opposite that portion of the bead which the hook engages. It will be seen that the punch is triangular in shape and when it pierces the top wall of the can it forms a triangular opening whose apex lies immediately adjacent the bead of the can. An unusually good pouring spout or opening is thereby provided.

The foregoing is illustrative of preferred forms of this invention. It will clearly be understood that these preferred forms may be modified and other forms may be provided within the broad spirit of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

One such modification, for instance, would be the omission from the handles of teeth I6. In this case the teeth on dog 28 would bite into the surface of the handle against which it engages and thus perform the necessary function as above described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A jar and bottle cap opener of the character described, comprising a handle of C-shaped cross section providing opposed longitudinal guide grooves, a clamping jaw fixed to one end of the handle, a plurality of teeth formed along one outer edge of the handle, a slide which is mounted within said guide grooves on said handle for sliding movement toward and away from the clamping jaw, a second clamping jaw fixed to said slide, said first and second clamping jaws being complementary to each other, a cam slot formed in said slide, said jaws being relatively movable toward and from each other on an axial line which intersects the cam slot, said cam slot being disposed at an angle of approximately 55 relative to said axial line, a cam follower engaging said cam slot, a bell-crank-shaped lever, one end of said lever constituting a handle, the opposi-te end of said lever supporting said cam follower and a toothed dog which is secured to the intermediate portion of said lever for movement with said lever into and out of engagement with the teeth of the first-mentioned handle.

2. A jar and bottle cap opener in accordance with claim 1 wherein each clamping jaw comprises a pair of pivotally mounted jaw segments which are independently movable relative to each other, each said pivoted pin being engaged in an oversized hole to allow for limited lateral movement of each segment relative to its jaw, and each segment having a concave side which is provided with a plurality of rounded teeth, and which faces the corresponding round toothed concave sides of the other segments.

CLARENCE W. FULLER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

